by Jon Anderson
If your extended family is anything like mine, you have some members on the far right, politically speaking, some on the far left, and everything in between. And, over the past several years, the differences seem to have intensified, straining our relationships. In many ways, the family is a microcosm of a Church congregation. And, I’m guessing your Church is no different. Or maybe it isn’t. Maybe your Church is all on one side of the proverbial aisle or the other. If so, it may be a sign of an unhealthy Church. Yes, you read that correctly. Diversity, within a single congregation, is usually a sign of a Christ-like Church… a thing to be celebrated!
Please don’t get me wrong here. I’m not advocating for the toxic aspects of any political stance. Hatred towards other humans should, in my strong opinion, be boldly preached against. But we can help to heal our divides and create unity by celebrating the fact that we all see the world differently.
In Luke 10, an expert in Jewish law asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor”, likely thinking that a neighbor is someone who lives in your neighborhood. Someone who worships in your synagogue. Someone who thinks, acts, and looks like you… likely even related to you. But Jesus, instead, describes the good neighbor as a Samaritan, the type of person this First Century Jew would have least considered being a neighbor to. Jesus is, in effect, saying that you cannot keep the Greatest Commandment if you don’t love whoever I put in your path.
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